Planned power blackout leaves kids, teachers in danger

STUDENTS returning to school in a high-risk bushfire area will be without power for up to seven hours, because a power company has scheduled maintenance work.

More than 400 students and staff, due to return to Hurstbridge Primary School on Thursday, have been given the option to miss the first day of the new school year due to the SP AusNet blackout.

The school will be without bells, airconditioning, a canteen service, computers, landline telephones and warning bells that alert students to emergencies such as bushfires.

The Education Department has criticised the move, calling on power companies "to take schools into consideration" when planning outages.

It is understood the school principal met with SP AusNet on Tuesday to try and reschedule the outage, but was told the blackout would go ahead.

Late Wednesday SP AusNet offered to cancel the outage after being contacted by the Herald Sun, but it was too late because the school had already contacted parents.

Company spokesman Jonathon Geddes apologised for the inconvenience and said businesses, including schools, had been advised to hire generators.

It is believed SP AusNet advised the school in writing last week about the outage, but the letter was not received due to the summer holidays.

Shadow education spokesman, James Merlino said students, parents and teachers "deserve an explanation from the Napthine Government as to why their school will have no power on a day of extreme heat and high fire risk".